Mysterious Mrs. Pansy

Jane possessed an almost photographic memory, enabling her to memorize figures at a mere glance. This proficiency made comprehending the documents a breeze, and she proceeded to input the data into the company’s system.

Although the process was somewhat intricate, she tackled it with confidence. As she grew accustomed to the task, her fingers flew across the keyboard, clacking loudly. The sound drew the attention of her colleagues, sparking hushed conversations.

“Wow, she’s a lightning-fast typist. I thought I was good, but she’s outpacing me by miles.”

“Isn’t she from the countryside where people are supposedly less well-off? How can she type so quickly? Jane is full of surprises.”

“You’re right! Did you see how she breezed through her morning tasks? She’s remarkably diligent for someone new to the corporate world. We’ve misjudged her. It’s no wonder she’s become Mr. Pansy’s fiancée.”

“So what? Have you noticed that Mr. Pansy hardly acknowledges her? He doesn’t even talk to her. She’s been rude to Monica. I’m sure Monica assigned her this heavy workload as a form of punishment. She deserves it. From here on, she’ll have a tough time. Let’s see how long she can handle it.”

“True, but it’s not our problem. We shouldn’t meddle. This isn’t our battle.”

All these whispered comments drifted into Jane’s ears. She had her hands full, so she chose to ignore them. Jane had no intention of overexerting herself. Whenever she felt hungry or thirsty, she’d grab a snack or a drink. If she grew tired, she’d take a short walk.Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

As closing time neared, most employees departed, leaving Jane behind, still immersed in her work. She left the office briefly to have dinner at 6 p. m. Food was not to be trifled with.

Upon her return, Jane encountered Monica, who was hammering away at her desk furiously. “Jane! Where did you disappear to? Have you finished the task I assigned you? You seem quite lazy. I specifically emphasized that it must be completed today, as it’s needed tomorrow. Instead of diligently working to meet the deadline, you’ve been strolling around, snacking, and guzzling drinks like a glutton. What’s going on with your work ethic? Don’t you know how to do the job? If you’re not up to the task, you should have spoken up so we could assign it to someone more competent. Will you accept responsibility if the company incurs losses due to the delay?”

Jane couldn’t stand Monica’s constant berating. In the end, she couldn’t take it any longer. “If memory serves me right, you said it had to be finished today. It’s not even 7 o’clock. Don’t rush me. I know exactly what I’m doing!”

Monica continued to harangue her, refusing to relent. “Don’t act like a know-it-all. You’re still a newcomer, and-”

“Enough!” Jane interrupted, her hand raised.

Monica fell silent immediately, taken aback by Jane’s sudden assertiveness. The few coworkers present were equally stunned. Jane had a strong aversion to noisy people, and Monica’s ceaseless nagging had reached its limit. “I still have plenty of hours before the deadline. If you’re so keen on reprimanding me, save it for tomorrow. Leave me be, will you? If you keep disrupting my work, I’ll have to report that I couldn’t complete it due to your interference. You’d be the one held accountable for any losses, not me. You wouldn’t want that, would you?”

Monica was rendered speechless, her anger causing her face to redden. Finally, she muttered in frustration, “You’re shirking your responsibilities, aren’t you? Fine, we’ll see about this tomorrow!”

In an outburst, she stormed back into the office, taking her anger out on the other employees. “None of you can leave without finishing your work. Lazy bunch!”

Jane sneered, paid Monica no mind, and returned to her duties. Her colleagues completed their tasks one by one and left the office. By dusk, Jane remained the sole occupant of the workspace.

It wasn’t until 9:30 p. m. that she finally completed her work. While others would have worked past 11 without taking breaks, Jane’s efficient time management allowed her to finish ahead of schedule, even with intermittent pauses.